Gate.



PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

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GATE.' APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 18, 1907.

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'PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.. 0.1:. RIPE.

GATE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1907.

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ms NORRIS PETERS c UNTTE STATES ATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES E. RIFE, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO A. J. MURPHY, OF RANDOLPH, MISSOURI.

GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907,

T at wh/Om, it nuty concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. RIFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of WVyandotte and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in gates for use on farms or in places where it is desirable to have a gate that can be readily opened or closed by a person in a vehicle, and consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which:

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the gate 111 a closed position with the outer posts removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of same on line 11-11 of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line III-III of Fig. 2, with the outer posts in position. Fig. 4 is a broken plan view. Fig. 5 is a broken detail view of one of the outer posts.

In carrying out the invention I employ a frame consisting of two main posts 1 2, an intermediate post 3, and a housing 4, uniting the upper ends of said posts.

5 designates fence rails and 6 barb-wire placed above the upper rails to prevent animals from placing their heads over the fence at a point between posts 2 and 3 and interfering with the operation of the gate. Post 3 consists of two upright pieces 7, spaced apart by blocks 8 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

9 designates the gate which consists of two upright ieces 10, longitudinal strips 11 uniting the ower portions of the upright pieces, and two braces 12 uniting the central portions of the longitudinal strips.

13 designates a piece of barb-Wire arranged above the uppermost strip 11 and secured to the upright pieces and braces 12 to prevent animals from placing their heads between said upright pieces and interfering with the operation of the gate. The upright pieces 10 extend to housing 4 and are provided with a pair of hangers 14, carrying a pair of rollers 15 arranged to travel upon a track 16, extending the entire length of the housing and secured to the lower portion thereof by brackets 17. By thus suspending the gate from the rollers, it is obvious that it will require but little power to open and close the same.

The gate is prevented from swinging upwardly by the frame, and outwardly by a guide-rail 18 and a guide-post 19. The gate is half way opened and closed by a pair of cables 20 21, the inner ortions of which are united by a clip 22 an connected to a pin 23 projecting from the inner side of braces 12. Pin 23 passes through an opening 23 in one of the upright pieces 7 when the gate is opened or closed.

The outer ends of cables 20 21 extend over guide pulleys 24 located at opposite sides of the gate, so that the latter may be operated by a passenger without aligh ting from his vehicle. To insure the easy operation of the cables the latter are conducted from pin 23 to pulleys 24 by a pair of guide-rollers 25 26, journaled in the intermediate post, and a pair of pulleys 27 mounted upon the housing and protected from the weather by a shield 28. The outer depending ends of the cables are provided with pipes 29 which hold the cables taut, prevent their depending ends from Winding around posts 49, and provide convenient handles for the operator.

As above stated the gate may be either half way opened or closed by pulling downwardly on either of the cables 20 21, but the remainder of its movement is automatically completed by a counterbalance 30 comprising a half-wheel 31 and a weight 32. Counterbalance 30 is mounted upon a shaft 33, carried by a pair of plates 33 Said counterbalance is alternately actuated by two cables 34 35, the former of which is attached atits forward end to a retractile spring 36, extends over a -guide-pulley 37, and thence rearwardly around the curved portion of member 31 to the lower corner 38 thereof, where it is attached. Cable 35 is attached at its forward end to a retractile spring 39, thence extends rearwardly over a guide-pulley 40, and is attached to the upper corner 41 of member 31. Springs 36 39 are connected at their adjacent ends to a pin 42 extending inwardly from the upper front portion of the gate.

With the above arrangement it is obvious that when the gate is drawn half way open by either cable 20 21, the gate will pull upon ca ble 34, and thus turn the counterbalance in the direction of arrow (1 so that when handle 29 is released the momentum acquired by the counterbalance will cause it to turn a half revolution and thus complete the opening movement of the gate, which movement is checked by a pin 43 contacting with the intermediate post 3. When the gate is being closed it will pull upon cable 35 and thereby restore the counterbalance to its normal posi tion, so that it will, while moving to said posi tion, complete the closing movement of the gate, which movement is checked by the front end of the gate contacting with a block 44 secured'to post 1. As the counterbalance stops in either position with its weight in horizontal alinement with shaft 33, it will keep cables 34 35 taut and thus reliably hold the gate in a closed or open position. l/Vhile the gate is being opened cables 21 will pull around guide-rollers 25 until pin 23 reaches a point beneath the same, and when the gate is being closed said cables will pull around roller 26 until pin 23 reaches a point beneath the same, hence the cables 20 21 only half way open or close the gate, and the counterbalance completes the opening or closing movement.

Cables 34 35 and pulleys 37 40 are protected from the weather by the housing 4, and the shocks incident to pin 43 contacting with post 3 and the front end of the gate contacting with block 44, are largely absorbed by springs 36 39, which also hold said cables taut. Pulleys 24 are mounted in yokes 46 depending from the hooked ends 47 of brack ets 48 secured to the upper portions of two posts 49, located a suitable distance from the opposite sides of the gate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1,. In a device of the class described, a frame including an intermediate post having an opening, a pair of guides located immediately above said opening, a pin secured to the gate and adapted to pass through said opening when the gate is opened or closed, cables for partly opening and closing said gate, which are attached to the pin and alternately engage the guides, means for conducting the cable in opposite directions from the gate, and means for completing the opening and closing movements of said gate.

2. In a device of the character described, a frame, a gate carried thereby, means for partly opening and closing said gate, a coun terbalance rockingly mounted in the frame for completing the opening and closing movements of the gate, springs attached to the front end of the gate, cables attached to said counterbalance and the springs, and guidepulleys over which said cables extend.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. RIFE.

WVitnesses:

F. G. FISCHER, H. Cox. 

